Desperate Measures
by dellykins
Summary: Optimus stepped into the internment camp...the 'detention center' as many had dubbed it. It made his tank churn to step inside. The whole thing sat wrong with him. He had argued the case before the council. They were all Cybertronians.
1. Desperate Measures

**Title:** Desperate Measures  
**Verse:** G1/IDW Fusion AU  
**Series: **None  
**Rating:M**  
**Warnings: **slavery. slash. sparklings. implied mech-preg. sticky. dub-con. Character Death. In other words the content is mature.  
**Pairings/Characters: **Thundercracker, Prowl, Jazz, Soundwave, Skywarp, Starscream, Optimus Prime, Ravage, Rumble, Frenzy.  
**Notes: **  
**Summary: **The Autobots win the war, but not everything is as it should be.  
**Words: **8281  
**Prompt: **None

Optimus stepped into the internment camp...the 'detention center' as many had dubbed it. It made his tank churn to step inside. The whole thing sat wrong with him. He had argued the case before the council. They were all Cybertronians. The Decepticons had as much a right to life as any of them. The War was over, they should have been allowed to integrate into society. Freedom was the right of all sentient beings. Faction should play no part in it. But the council had overruled him. Metalhawk and his compatriots had seized control of the council. The NAILS. They had no understanding. The halls were cold and sterile. He hurried down the hallway, he had to hurry or he would have been too late.

"STOP." He said, his voice raising for once, echoing through the hall.

The two bots stopped, Starscream sagging between them, clearly drugged. "Prime? The exce-"

"Will not be happening. I will be taking responsibility for this prisoner." Prime said, moving close enough to grab Starscream's arm.

"But sir, we were ordered to-"

"Don't but me." Prime's optics narrowed in a dangerous manner and they had that glint in them. The same glint they had before any battle. "Who are you?"

"I-I am Locks, sir, and this is Bolts." Locks looked up at the much taller mech, clearly dazzled.

"Locks, I don't care what you were ordered to do. I will be leaving with this prisoner." His blue optics flashed brightly.

"My hero." Starscream slurred. "Can't you leave well enough alone?"

Prime's optics narrowed, ignoring Starscream. "I'm not leaving here without him, alive."

Locks sighed, nodding. "We cannot release any of them without the coding being added, sir."

Optimus looked at Starscream, who glared back. "Do what you must."

OoOoOoOo

The end of the war had not been kind to any of the Decepticons. Some more than others. Thundercracker and his trine had not been with Megatron when he had fallen in battle, they had been fighting off on their own. Thundercracker counted this lucky only in that it spared Starscream's life. Megatron had no trial. Had not even made it off of the battlefield alive. Thundercracker quaked to think of it. Things had fallen apart after that, and soon enough they were all rounded up and taken to a detention center...those that had not been off-lined. More than enough of their faction had met their end before making it to the prison. Some had taken their own lives once there. Thundercracker had resisted at first. Resisted the programing they had forced on him, the more he had resisted the tighter it seemed to bind him until he was more like a broken thing.

Still...Thundercracker counted himself lucky. Many of his brethren had not been so fortunate. Far from it. The war had ended. They had lost. Lost so much, even their freedom. The council was just as corrupt as it had been before the war. Perhaps more so. Optimus Prime, to his credit, had fought for the Decepticons, but in the end they were stripped of their freedom, their citizenship, made chattel.

He could have raged at it, but it was tiring to hold onto the anger for so long. He may be living in a gilded cage, but he had more freedoms than some. He wasn't treated as a piece of furniture, or as a pet. He wasn't beaten or abused. If anything he was bored. Bored and maybe a bit lonely. Mostly lonely, he missed Skywarp and Starscream. He missed Ratbat. He had not seen them since Prowl had taken him from the detention center, and the latter was offlined. He tried not to think about THAT. His optics watered at the thought. The slave collar dampened bonds, just as it deactivated his comms and his transformation cog.

Prowl worked long hours, leaving Thundercracker mostly alone in the apartment. It was not a small apartment, that much Thundercracker was thankful for. It was high up in one of the newly constructed towers of what used to be Iacon. Sometimes Thundercracker would stand out on the balcony just to feel the battering wind against his plating. It was as close to flight as he was going to get these days. The height was enough to burn away most of the flight lust. It still ached though, burning through his lines. Sometimes he looked down from the height, and it was tempting to just let himself tumble off. His brothers' barely there presence in the bond was the only thing that kept him from it. If Prowl knew he would never be let out again.

By the time Prowl arrived back home Thundercracker was curled up on the couch, half in recharge. This was nothing new. The seeker was often in this position or similar when he arrived home. Prowl watched Thundercracker for a long moment, his spark clenching. It was tempting to reach out and touch him, his fingers itched to do so. "Thundercracker?"

Thundercracker startled, his optics brightening. "Sorry, Master. I did not hear you come in."

Prowl frowned at the title. It always left him feeling faintly ill. This was not what they had fought the war for. Far from it. Optimus was beyond troubled by the council's insistence. He had fought, he still fought, but it did little good. Optimus did what he could. They all did what they could, but it was never enough. "It's fine." He said stiffly, and took a seat at the end of the couch. He watched the seeker for a moment. Thundercracker looked healthy, in body at least. His plating gleamed faintly in the half-light of the room. The other slaves could not be said to share the same luck. For once in his life it made Prowl less than proud to be an Autobot. They had won...what? To have the same situation replay itself? It made him sick to his tank, and half inclined to purge. They had been able to guarantee the safety of some of the cons, now slaves. Some, but not enough. The Decepticon army was just too large, and the Autobots that saw that this was an injustice...too few.

Thundercracker sat up, looking increasingly uncomfortable at Prowl's silence and how intently he was being watched. The slave programming pinged at him, causing him to fret. Intellectually, he knew he had done nothing wrong, but the programming played havoc with his emotions, "Have I done something wrong, master?" The programing urged him to grovel, to beg for forgiveness of whatever slight he had given his master. He hunched his shoulders, fighting it for as long as he could. He gritted his denta, and whimpered as he lost the fight, and dropped to the floor, crawling until he stopped before Prowl. "Master? I'm sorry. Please, don't be angry. Please. Just tell me what I did wrong...I won't do it again. I promise." He pressed his face plates against Prowl's thigh, nearly keening as he kneeled there.

Prowl ex-vented loudly. This was, unfortunately, a scene that played out far too often for his own comfort. "You have not done anything wrong." He pet the mech's head, for lack of anything else to do. Scolding him would only make it worse, and no matter how much he denied that the bot did no wrong the programming would not allow him to accept it. "Thundercracker? Look at me." He tilted the seeker's chin up, grasping it in his hands gently. "You have done nothing wrong."

"But-but I don't do anything at all. You won't even-"

"No."

"But-"

"You are not some pleasure-bot. I'm not...going to..." Prowl said his tone angry. The anger faded away nearly as soon as soon as it welled up. "I saw your trine-mates today. They looked well."

Red optics flashed. "They are?" He had been afraid to even ask after had still been in the detention center when he had left.

"Yes. Optimus managed to get Starscream." He had barely stopped the execution, but he was not going to tell the Seeker that. He was fragile enough. "And Soundwave and Skywarp are staying with Jazz." His lip twitched up in amusement. Jazz had his hands full with the two mechs and all of the cassettes.

Thundercracker took the news, and seemed to curl in on himself. "Thank you, master."

"Don't call me that. Please. Just Prowl." He leaned in, touching the collar. "I will fix this. As much as I can."

"There is nothing to fix." Thundercracker flinched. "You should-"

"Everything needs fixed. This isn't how it was supposed to be." Prowl said, petting the seeker's helm, a scowl inching on to his faceplates. "I promise that at least."

The seeker ducked his helmet. He wished he could believe that was true. Prayed to Primus as he had not in millennium. Finally he looked up, meeting Prowl's gold gaze. "My trine mates are safe. That is enough. Thank you for letting me know, master."

"So cowed." Prowl sighed, bending down he pulled the seeker into a hug. "We will muddle through this together."

Thundercracker nodded, looking up at him. "Did-did something happen today?"

"The NAILS. Still. They can't leave well enough alone. They thwart Optimus at every turn." Simply thinking about it made his core temperature rise in annoyance. "They couldn't be bothered to fight in the war and somehow think it is their right to administer the world afterwards. They have made-Things are just as bad as before. Worse."

Thundercracker looked up at him. "I am sorry, master."

"As am I, Thundercracker. As am I."

OoOoOoOo

Skywarp looked out the window. Through the metaliglass to the city below. The bustling Autobot city. Soundwave's remaining cassettes curled around him, half in recharge. The gluttons had all consumed far too many energon treats. Ravage sprawled across the floor, his limbs twitching; clearly he was in a flux but Skywarp didn't touch him. He didn't move move from his position in the window seat, he didn't shift Rumble or Frenzy. They deserved what peace they could get. He knew how much they all mourned the loss of their siblings. He knew Soundwave did most of all. Skywarp's own spark pulsed unhappily in his chest. They had all lost so much, and the collars about their necks were a heavy reminder of that fact.

"Jazz: Home soon." Soundwave said, as he entered the room, and gathered up Rumble and Frenzy. The little bots never woke as they were cradled against their carrier's chest.

"I know." Skywarp said, finally turning to study his fellow captive. Skywarp worried for him, more than himself, certainly. Soundwave was too quiet. He had always been a bot of few words, but now...it scared Skywarp.

Life as a pampered pet was not hard. Soundwave, though, was having a far harder time adjusting. He watched the other bot head towards the rooms he shared with his cassettes with worry in his optics. Soundwave had been through much. He had been there when their lord had fallen. Skywarp couldn't quite imagine. He had lost lovers in his time, but not someone he truly loved.

Skywarp watched as Soundwave got a cube of energon ready for Jazz and set out a tray of gelled energon treats he had made earlier that day. Skywarp was glad he had at least found something to occupy his time. It was better than the ceaseless keening. He had spent much of their first days here sedated. Jazz had thought the cassette carrier would take his own life, and take the rest of his cassettes down with him. Skywarp at least was relieved that had never happened.

Skywarp nudged Ravage with his foot, "Wakey, wakey!"

Ravage gave him a pained look, and heaved himself up. The cassette hopped up onto the window-seat, curling against the seeker and casting a jaded eye out the window. "I miss them."

"We all miss them." Skywarp vented. "They are with the allspark. And one day we will be with them in the well." He knew he was chattering, he couldn't help himself, and most of the time he didn't know what to say about their loss. He kicked himself inside, he was no good at comforting his own offspring, but he tried. Laserbeak and Buzzsaw's loss was hard enough to deal with, but the loss of Ratbat, tiny little Ratbat. Skywarp shook for a moment, thankful that his own trinemates were still alive as much as he mourned the sparklings. He couldn't bring himself to be guilty that his own bitlet had survived. Not that he was much of a bitlet these days.

Ravage looked up at him, and Skywarp couldn't help but feel like crawling out of his own armour. "You like him...don't you..."

"Ravage..."

"He owns us."

He sighed, "I know. I know."

"You feel the same way about..."

"Stop reading my mind, brat."

Ravage barked a laugh. "Maybe you can make him happy. He hurts all the time. Hurts so much."

Skywarp sighed. He knew what could help Soundwave, but he was not it. "Brat."

"Ravage: desist. Stop teasing your sire." Soundwave said, but there was no rancor behind it. His voice was almost musical without the vocoder. He ducked his head, not meeting Skywarp's optics. They had taken so much from him. The mask and visor had been one of the first things removed. Skywarp could understand why he had worn such things. His face was very...expressive, always had been. His optics were the most interesting shade of amber. Not quite gold, not quite red. He was handsome, surprisingly so. Skywarp had never had much thought about what Soundwave looked without the visor and mask, he had seen that face often enough and he was more inclined to like a personality than a pretty face. Lately though Skywarp had certainly had an eyeful of both this mech and their master without their visors. Of the two Soundwave was the more reassuring, he was at least familiar.

Jazz was an attractive mech himself. Very much so, but his white optics...Skywarp understood why he kept them hidden. Primus touched or cursed. he was not sure. It didn't stop Skywarp from hopping into berth with the mech first chance he got, in any case. It was unlikely to stop him when he did it again. And Again. And again. His spark fluttered happily at that thought. He could not bring himself to be guilty over it.

Ravage huffed, giving his sire an exasperated look before slinking away, going to join the twins. "You two need to stop dancing around each other," he said, looking back at them for one moment before slipping through the door.

"We aren't, you aft." Skywarp said, glaring, before looking back up at Soundwave.

"Whatever... Uncle Warp." Ravage called back before the door slid shut with a loud snick.

"Uncle...Uncle...you bratling. You know very well I'm your Genitor."

"I know no such thing." Ravage yelled through the door leaving Skywarp rolling his optics.

Skywarp shook his head and patted the seat beside him, letting Soundwave curl up against him, clinging. He had more things to worry about than his bratty offspring with Soundwave. Soundwave himself was more of a concern. Skywarp doubted he even realized the coolant was flowing from his optics. "Bad day, huh, sweetspark?"

Soundwave vented heavily. "Soundwave: Failure. Miss them so much."

"I miss them too. Star misses them...and you. And Megatron." He thanked Primus for the billionth time that they never bonded. He couldn't stomach losing his nephews and brother all in one go. The creation-bond between the sparklings and Soundwave was so much stronger than normal. He rocked his brother's mate and wished he could fix it all.

Soundwave only cried harder. A very bad day indeed. "Council: killed them. Monsters: extinguished my sparklings." He sobbed, clinging to Skywarp who crooned at him in seeker-cant. The sound seemed to soothe the mech.

Jazz finally came inside, and vented much like a human sigh. "Not a good day, my mech?"

Skywarp gave him a wan smile, even as he hugged Soundwave tighter. "Far from it."

Soundwave's vent's hitched and he untangled himself from Skywarp. He looked away, "Jazz: home late, left energon for you."

Jazz nodded, his visor flashing. "It was...a busy day. But I did talk ta Optimus, and Prowl. Thundercracker and Starscream are doing...well okay as can be expected. And I set up a meeting date. I thought ya could use it. Being trapped in here all the time isn't healthy."

Soundwave shivered, "Jazz: this is...much appreciated." He ducked his head, trying to hide the coolant leaking from his optics again. "Sou-Soundwave: Requests permission to recharge."

"Sounders, how many times do I have ta tell you...you don't have to ask my permission?" Soundwave ducked his head, nearly running out of the room.

Jazz sighed once the door shut behind Soundwave leaving him alone with Skywarp. "I fear for him."

Skywarp looked away, ducking his head. "So do I." He shook and did not resist when Jazz pulled him into a hug, holding on tightly. "I'm so scared, Jazz." That admission hurt. "I...he just hurts so much."

Jazz smoothed a hand across Skywarp's wings in a comforting motion. "I know, brightspark. I know." He leaned in, catching the seeker's lips.

OoOoOoOo

Optimus Prime was at wits end. His erstwhile guest was being difficult at best. He wondered for the millionth time why he listened to Prowl. This was not a good idea, not in the least, and at the same time he could not have left the seeker to the fate the council wanted for him. "At least fuel. Please." Optimus said, venting loudly.

Starscream regarded him with narrowed optics. "Is it drugged?"

"Oh, for the love of Primus! Why would I drug you?"

"To have your way with me." The seeker declared shrilly.

"Starscream. Shut up and fuel." Optimus sighed getting his own cube. "I saw Prowl today."

"Do you think I care about your second in command? I ca-"

"How did Megatron not strangle you? Do you ever-just hush for one moment." He ex-vented loudly. The Vosian prince was trying at best. A brat. "He has Thundercracker. I thought you might like to know that your wingmates were safe."

Starscream hunched in on himself. "Safe is relative when we are all in...when we are..."

"Left to the whims of others?"

Starscream scowled at him, "I hate you."

"So you have said, over and over." Optimus said in a tired tone.

"I **HATE** you!"

"Yes, yes. I am well aware."Optimus shook his head, the collar had done nothing to tame the Decepticon Air Commander. "Be that as it may, we are stuck together for a while. Perhaps you should get used to the idea."

"I'm not going to be your berth-warmer, Prime."

"That...was the farthest thing from my mind, Starscream. The last thing I want in my berth is you."

"Aft!" Starscream shrieked, slapping Optimus across the face. The collar electrified, sending the seeker to the floor shrieking.

"Ouch. I hope it was worth it." Optimus said casually, watching the seeker whimper and curl into a ball.

"Oh, it was." Starscream croaked. "There is a reason Megatron never strangled me. Not one **YOU **will ever know. I wouldn't give you that pleasure."

"I'm aware. There was traces of his transfluid still in your system when they brought you to the detention center." Optimus said in a snarky tone only to be slapped again. The seeker shrieked, collapsing once more.

"Still...wor-worth...it." The seeker managed to grit out. Optimus would give him this, he was tenacious. A second shock of that caliber should have been enough to take a combiner down.

OoOoOoOo

They all met at Optimus' place of residence. More specifically the crystal garden. It was a beautiful place, but Thundercracker barely noticed, his optics had gravitated at once to his brothers. His brothers and Soundwave. They had come together, touching, hugging, all four bots, the cassettes at their center.

The Autobots had been puzzled at best. They had expected such behavior from the trine, but not for it to extend out to the cassette carrier and his cassettes. It only cemented a personal theory that Jazz had in his processor and one that made him uncomfortable in light of things where the cassettes were concerned.

They stayed that way for the longest time before Soundwave and Starscream drifted off together, Rumble and Frenzy soon after them. The two bots sat together, helms pressed together as the two cassettes pressed close.

The Autobots watched, frowning. "I thought they hated each other." Prowl finally said, clearly confused by the situation. Jazz was trying not to giggle at the look in his optics, the one that said he was five astroseconds from a fritz.

"Eh, they both miss Megatron, and Starscream hasn't seen the little sparks since you separated them. You'd wanna spend time with your family too." Skywarp said flippantly, his optics widening once it was out of his mouth. "Ooops."

Ravage let out a whine and pressed closer to Skywarp. The flier crouched down and pulled the cassette close even as Thundercracker let out a curse, and hit his brother upside the helm.

"Explain yourself." Prowl said, eyeing Thundercracker, who flinched.

The slave programming dragging the words from him. "Soundwave, Starscream and Megatron were mates. The only reason they didn't bond was because of the war. Rumble and Frenzy aren't symbionts they are...they are sparklings. We hid them away because we didn't want to make them targets. We...we were the only ones that knew. Aside from Hook. They...wouldn't have been safe with our faction if they were found out. I mean, Rumble and Frenzy are Megatron's offspring in all senses of the word, they share his coding. They would have been too much of a temptation to someone looking to usurp him. And your faction...well..."

"Just Rumble and Frenzy?" Jazz asked, his mind racing. He had suspected, and his worst fear had been confirmed. He looked down, touching Skywarp's shoulder. "Ravage? Is yours?"

Skywarp shivered, leaning into the touch. "He's mine." He clung to Ravage, who whined again. He ducked his head, looking at Thundercracker. "Buzzsaw and Laserbeak were Starscream's, and..."

"Ratbat was mine." Thundercracker said, shaking, his optics filling with liquid. "Our seekerlets were deactivated at the detention center." He shook harder as he said it. Somehow saying it made it so much more real. "You killed him." Skywarp scooted closer, pulling his brother against him.

The Autobots looked at each other, horrified.

OoOoOoOo

Thundercracker hunched into himself, trying his best to hide from the searching Prowl. He didn't feel so lucky today. He didn't want energon or to talk to Prowl. His spark felt tiny and cold in his chest. He already missed his brothers and his nephews. He felt so alone without them, so isolated. Not for the first time he wished he could just curl up and offline. He hated this, hated what the world had become, and more than that he hated the council. Hated that they had destroyed the one thing he loved most in this world.

"Thundercracker?" Prowl asked, finally finding him curled up in the corner. "Please come out."

"Master?"

Prowl cast the seeker a worried look. He was scared to leave the seeker alone. He couldn't vocalize it, but he was. "I won't be going into work today."

"Oh, okay, Master." He ducked his helm.

Prowl sighed, "Jazz wants to take the Cassettes...the sparklings, to get them put in proper frames."

Thundercracker stiffened. "He can't, they will be collared."

"No...Optimus will make sure they aren't. I can promise you that." He sighed, "Jazz...feels very responsible. It isn't as if he is going to put them out." Prowl wasn't sure how he felt about any of it, and he had this niggling feeling that Jazz was far more involved with the purple seeker than he should have been. He had that look in his optics everytime he looked at Skywarp.

Thundercracker whimpered. "They will be hurt..."

"No, I promise you they won't." Prowl said, petting the seeker's helm. He was surprised when the seeker wrapped his arms around his waist, clinging.

"You promise?" Thundercracker asked, looking up at him. He trusted Prowl. He had never lied to him, not once.

"I promise." Prowl said softly.

OoOoOoOo

Skywarp trembled under Jazz's ministrations, arching up into the black and white's touch. It was always intense between them and this time was no different. Jazz slammed into him, leaving the seeker keening, crying out, his valve clenching around Jazz's spike as the first overload hit him. Jazz clung to him, Skywarp's overload triggering his own. They lay, tangled together for what seemed like an eternity. Neither in any hurry to move. Jazz finally pulled away but Skywarp held on to him.

"Please, just a little longer." Skywarp shivered, his valve clenching again. It fluttered around Jazz's spike, a cocky little grin on his faceplates as he felt it pressurize again.

"You are impossible." Jazz chuckled and kissed him until they were both venting heavily, core temperature soaring all over again.

"No...I'm making up for lost time." Skywarp said, rolling his hips. "I need you."

Jazz laughed, thrusting in to the seeker again, it was rough and quick this time, leaving them both screaming in the end.

Finally Jazz rolled off the seeker and tucked himself against him. He could feel their sparks whirling in time, and he felt guilty for the longest of moments. He shouldn't want this. He shouldn't be doing this. He **KNEW** Optimus Prime would not approve. He would demand that Jazz stop, and maybe even make him send Skywarp away. If anything it made him want to cling tighter.

"What's wrong, sweetspark?" Skywarp murmured, petting Jazz's plating.

Jazz offlined his optics, and was silent for a very long moment. "I-I'm not-you want this don't you? I mean it's not..."

Skywarp sighed, "It's not the slave coding, if that's what you're asking. It doesn't work like that. We can make our own choices, as the dents on your Prime should have proven to you. I can fight against it if I chose too. What is there to fight though? I want you. I want this."

"But Thundercracker..."

"Was a bit on the glitched side to begin with. My brother hid it well, but he was more high strung than Starscream in some ways. And he has always admired Prowl." Skywarp shrugged and nuzzled into Jazz.

Jazz relaxed against him.

OoOoOoOo

Soundwave curled up on his berth, his sparklings curled up around him. Rumble and Frenzy had long since drifted into recharge. They slept too much these days. He could not blame them. He wished he could do the same. His spark hurt, and for once in his life he did not know what to do. He had been with Megatron and Starscream so long, he was adrift without them. The only consolation being that his remaining bitlets and Starscream were safe. Seeing his mate had made it that much more real. Far beyond any reassurance Skywarp had given him.

It was not that he did not trust Skywarp. He trusted the seeker implicitly. They had been friends and lovers before he had ever been welcomed into Megatron and Starscream's berth.

"Creator?" Ravage's voice was soft.

Soundwave had not even realized he was awake. With the damper blocking his telepathy he felt as though he were going through the world half-blind. "Ravage: should be recharging."

The mech let out a little uneasy checkle. "I know, carrier. It evades me though. I-I worry about my genitor. It's not right. He shouldn't..."

Soundwave sighed and hugged his eldest to him, "Ravage: Worries too much. Skywarp: Surprisingly capable."

"Capable he may be, but he's still fragging the Autobot. How can he-how-after-I just don't understand."

"Situation: difficult."

"I know. I really do know." Ravage said softly. "Why can't you just be with him? You care for each other, and then he wouldn't-"

"Ravage: Desist." It was an old argument, and one his sparkling was not going to win.

"I know, I know...you love him, but you aren't IN love with him. It isn't what someone wants to hear about their creators." The feline said, his tone closer to moping. "I don't want him to be with the Autobot. It's not right. It's not right at all."

"Ravage: desist. Not your concern." He hugged his creation tightly.

OoOoOoOo

Starscream glared at the Autobots across the table. "I don't want to talk about it." He ground out gnashing his denta together. "Can't you just leave me alone?"

"No. We can't if we want to fix the situation. We need a record of your version of events." Optimus said in what he hoped was a soothing tone. Of the three Starscream was always the hardest to deal with. Prowl was getting Thundercracker's version of the events and Jazz had already gotten a version from Skywarp. They were matching up so far.

"**FINE.** It was all a bit of a blur. Megatron went down on the other side of the battlefield. Sniper fire. It's happened before, but this time he didn't get up. They hit him in a weak spot on his armour...and well you know this. We were not faring as well on the other side of the battlefield either. I was hit by something...I don't know what. It made my systems seize up. The shock of it hit my trinemate and we went down. We were injured, but nothing dire. The fall knocked us offline. By the time we came to we...and the rest of combatants, were being rounded up. We somehow located Soundwave and the cassettes. The fliers had been injured. Brought down the way we were."

"When you say fliers?" Jazz asked.

"I mean the seekerlets, yes. Ratbat, Laserbeak, and Buzzsaw were sparklings; thought my twins were getting close to being grown. Not as old as Ravage, he is the eldest of the bunch, but they would still have only been a frame or two from their mechhood. We disguised them as symbionts in the hopes of protecting them. Against your faction, and sadly as our own as well. We were afraid that-that they would be used against us. So...we hid them away." His wings twitched in agitation. "They took us all straight away to the detention center and processed us through. Then...I...I had the twins and Thundercracker was holding Ratbat. They...took them away. There was a scuffle and the sparklings were crying for us, but they just took them away. They said they were going to repair them. They weren't hurt that bad. But they cried and screamed when they took them away. They cried down the bond, and it only got worse. It seemed to go on forever. They were so scared, and then they were...they were gone. Laserbeak first-I can only surmise since he caused the most trouble. I felt the creation bond snap...and then Buzzsaw was...just...beyond hysterical." He vented hard, and rubbed at his optics, "I couldn't even comfort my own child through the bond. I-that isn't something you can console them over. Not that. Not what he saw, or the bond breaking. And then he was gone too. Not too long after that Thundercracker lost it. Ratbat was his only sparkling, and he was the youngest. Practically a new spark. He was a, what is the human word? Toddler? Thundercracker only felt a small portion of what Ratbat felt...and we felt it through him. It was...I don't have the words. Thundercracker just-just kept throwing himself against the bars. Kept doing it until they had to sedate him. And I was so scared they were going to offline him too." Starscream's vents hitched. "Then...then they tried to lie to us and said they were too gravely injured. That they had passed into the well on their own from their injuries. Like we wouldn't know what they did." His wings shivered, and he stopped for a moment, hugging himself. "We felt what they went through. I don't know why they even bothered."

Jazz put a hand on the jet-former's wing, barely touching it in what he hoped to be a comforting motion. Starscream flinched away like a hurt thing.

"Please. No more." The seeker's voice cracked, going to static. "I...I...I can't talk about it any longer."

OoOoOoOo

The chevroned mech did a double-take. Cycled his optics, and looked again at what was before him. "They are lucky their sparks were not damaged," he finally said, looking down at the mechling before him. The mechling he had previously thought to be a drone. "He should be in a...nearly an adult frame...not a frame meant for a drone." He murmured.

Jazz hmmm'd. "Do you think you could do a transfer?"

Ratchet looked at him for a moment, and rolled his optics. "Certainly. I could."

"But will you?"

"They-are Cons."

"They are sparklings. Children. Please, Ratchet?"

The medic sighed, "Oh, stop it Jazz, you know I will help you. I will help them."

Jazz beamed, "I knew I could count on you, Ratch."

OoOoOoOo

Ratchet watched the three younglings twitching nervously on the medical berths. Their new frames on a berth beside them. He nodded to First Aid and Hoist. It had not taken much at all to convince them that this would be the right thing to do. The younglings were scared, it was a palpable thing in the medbay, that left them all twitching.

"Come on, scraplet, time to get this show on the road." Ratchet's lip-plate hitched up as the human saying left his vocals.

Rumble groaned, looking towards his brother, "Maybe we can do this another time?"

"You can't keep putting it off, spritelet." First Aid said, already at Ravage's side, putting the panther-former in stasis.

"I'm not a spritelet." Frenzy said in a grumpy voice. "I don't see..."

"It's okay to be scared. I know you don't trust us...but we really will get you through this." Hoist said, as he prepped the new framed, hooking them up to the monitors one at a time. "Your creators and Jazz trust us enough to let us do this. So, just relax."

The twins looked at him for a moment before settling themselves on the berth, with one final look at each other. They were still scared, and Ratchet could not blame them. Considering what had happened to their siblings he didn't blame them at all. Biting back his hatred for the council, it would do no good while he was operating, he put first Rumble, and then Frenzy into stasis. "Come on team, we have work to do.

OoOoOoOo

The procedure had gone more smoothly than Ratchet could have hoped for. He watched the monitor for a moment, and checked the younglings' systems. The sparks were settling into the systems far quicker than he had even hoped for. It had been touch and go with Ravage for a moment, but that was to be expected. His spark had been far too big for the frame he had been placed in. Ratchet doubted that their creators had understood what danger they had put the sparklings in; Starscream was a scientist, not a doctor. It could have easily killed any of them. As it was, the twins' sparks were stunted. He wish he had never seen such a thing, but before the war it had been common enough in pleasure-slaves. Their sparks forced into smaller, sleeker frames. Left to it it could shorten the bots lives infinitely. As it was they caught it in time. He hoped.

"Well, what do you think?" He asked First Aid, who was scanning Ravage.

"A joor of monitoring them before we bring them out. Their systems should be synchronized by then."

"I bow to the expert." Ratchet said, smirking.

OoOoOoOo

They brought Ravage out of stasis first. He wobbled as Ratchet helped him sit up. "Steady, youngling."

Ravage gripped the edge of the berth, trying to steady himself.

"Primus." The youngster breathed. "I'm...tall."

Ratchet snorted, "More so than before, I'm sure. Just sit a bit and let it all settle before you try anything, I'm going to wake up your brothers."

First Aid scanned Ravage, his eyes darting to Ratchet where he was talking to Frenzy. "Not so bad?" He finally asked, looking at the mechling. His frame suited him, at least in his estimation, then again he had helped build it with Ravage's input. Colors were already bleeding in as the nanites adjusted. By the time his scan was done the frame was nearly all black. He looked up, meeting Ravage's gold eyes. "How do you feel?"

"Like slag." Ravage snorted. "Possibly worse."

"Give it a joor, it should settle in." He patted the mechling's arm. "Your spark is fully integrated, so it should be a smooth transition from here."

Ravage ducked his head, "Thank you."

First Aid beamed, "You are more than welcome, youngling."

OoOoOoOo

Ravage felt ungainly for the first time he could remember. The distance to the ground was disorienting, and walking as a biped was disconcerting in itself. Ratchet had said it would take time for his spark and processor to adjust to the new frame. In his mind that day could not come soon enough. He was one frame away from an adult frame. Not as big or bulky as either of his creators. He never would be with how his old frame had stunted his spark's growth. Still he was far bigger than a minibot. Ratchet said his finally frame would be the size of a Praxian. Not a small bot, but not a large one either. He felt like preening, he had worked with Ratchet's team to design his current form, it had the sleekness of his old frame, and once he was used to it he knew he would appreciate the change.

His younger siblings were not so lucky. They were not mini-cons...certainly, but they would be on the very small side for even a minibot once their spark was done growing. They had quite a few frames to go, at least three from what Ratchet had told him. The twins did not seem to mind or care, or even to notice a change even though they had doubled in size overnight.

"Ravage?" Skywarp watched him as he crossed the crystal garden. "Are you-"

"I'm fine, genitor. Still a bit disoriented, that is all. Ratchet said it might be awhile before-before I get used to this." Ratchet had said a lot of things. Rumble and Frenzy did not seem to be having any of Ravage's difficulties either. They chased each other through the garden laughing. It left their more quiet brother shaking his head.

"You sure?" Skywarp asked, searching his youngling's face.

"I'm sure. I...I can't say I'm sorry for this. It is just a lot of change to accept." Ravage leaned into the older bot, closing his optics when Skywarp pulled him close like he used to do when Ravage was a mere sparkling. "I'm scared, sire. So scared."

"We all are, bitlet."

Ravage nodded against the jet-former's chest. "I know, sire."

"Jazz will keep us safe though."

"I don't-I don't understand why you can have such faith in him. He is the enemy."

"He has a good spark. And he isn't the enemy. He's really not." Skywarp gave a small chuckle, finding it hard to believe who he was defending. "Neither is Optimus. Neither is Prowl. Neither was Ratchet or any of his team. They want to help us. They want to make this right. They're good bots and our family is lucky to have them."

OoOoOoOo

It was tedious work the first time. Ratchet worked on Thundercracker first, he had been clear he would not put up with Starscream's squawking or Skywarp's chatter. According to him one was as annoying as the other. Thundercracker though, he was silent. A pool of calm. Ratchet had plugged the datapad in to Thundercracker's medical port a joor ago and was still going through code after code of data. Carefully erasing and adjusting. The others would be simple enough, he would be able to upload what amounted to a patch, but he had to build it the first time. Ratchet glanced up from the pad, "I think...it's time for a break. You need to fuel?"

"Please." Thundercracker's vents wheezed out sigh. He looked about the room. It was tidy and austere, much like the mech himself. His hand shook as he took the cube Ratchet offered him.

"It won't be much longer, I promise." The medic said in an uncharacteristically gentle tone.

Thundercracker sipped on the energon rather than answer. "Thank you." He said, red optics meeting blue. "I-we really appreciate this. I know...I know you didn't have to help us."

Ratchet nodded, "No, I didn't, but I didn't fight all of those vorns for this to happen."

Thundercracker fidgeted. "Maybe some of us deserve it. Maybe it's Primus' way of punishing-"

"Don't start with that slag." Ratchet said, eying the seeker. "No one deserves this. No one." The medic looked away. "What was done was unforgivable. Unfortunately all we can do is move on."

Thundercracker nodded, looking down at his hands. "As you say, medic."

"I do say, seeker." he said, and finished off his cube in a single gulp. "This does not become you." He eyed the jet-former.

"Right." Thundercracker finished his own cube, and offered up his arm, and medical port.

"Patience. As I said, it is going to take a while." Still he plugged in, and began carefully teasing his way through the seeker's code. It was an arduous task. He picked up where he left off, going one line at a time and teasing out the code they did not want. It left Ratchet feeling exasperated. Whomever they had wrote it knew what they were doing. It only made Ratchet's job that much harder. They had mired the coding in the seeker's base coding. They sat there for joors as Ratchet weeded out the last of the coding.

"Mmmm...that's it." He said closing up Thundercracker's ports.

The seeker looked up at him blinking. "It's..."

"The collar has been deactivated, but I would keep it on for now, for appearances." Ratchet said gravely. "We don't want the council to suspect."

"N-now what?" Thundercracker asked, shivering.

Ratchet put a steadying hand on the seeker's shoulder. "Now, you get some recharge, and I will work on a patch for the others." He tapped the datapad. "It will not take long, since the hard part is over."

Thundercracker curled up on the berth without much urging, and drifted off into recharge.

Ratchet watched the sleeping seeker, and vented softly. He hoped the others were not as damaged as this one. He could not help but feel sorry for him.

OoOoOoOo

Breaking in to the council building was easy enough. Going through the council's private files was a little less so, but not much. They were careless in their arrogance, and Jazz finally found what he needed on Metalhawk's personal terminal. Correspondence about the sparklings, and worse still, video of when they were taken in for their supposed medical treatment. Jazz watched the video, and felt like purging his tanks. Ratbat's screams were still echoing through his processor long after the vid was over. He could not help but wonder how Thundercracker had any shred of his sanity left after being on the receiving end of his child's cries.

They had fought the war for things to end up like this? He could not help but feel bitter about it. This was a far cry from the freedom they had fought for. Still feeling ill he connected up to the system and uploaded the files in question. Optimus was waiting, after all. Jazz sped across the city faster than he had ever dared go before. He was a jittery bumble of circuits once he finally reached his Prime and handed over the information in question.

Optimus reviewed the information. His face set in a grimace as he watched the vid and read through the files. "We have some tough decisions to make." He said uneasily.

Jazz met his optics. "I think...I think we should expose them in a way they cannot sweep under the rug...as the humans say."

Prime nodded, still looking grim. "I had a feeling you might say that."

OoOoOoOo

"Jazz?" Skywarp frowned, watching the mech stumble in. Something was off. "Jazz? Are you okay?"

Jazz shivered, "No...no I'm no."

Skywarp's browplates quirked up. "You want to talk about it?"

"I...I don't know if I can. After all this time...everything I've seen in the war..."

"Some things can still shake you?"

"Yes...yes they can." Jazz said, his vents hitching.

"Show me then." Skywarp said, unspooling one of the cables at his side.

"I don't know...I..." His hand shook as he took the cable and plugged it in the the port on his side. He leaned into Skywarp, basking in the warmth of their shared field for a moment. He sent the information packets through the link, his tank churning as he did.

Skywarp opened them up, his ex-vents coming fast. Jazz felt the edge of his fury, but instead of recoiling he opened the link between them showing his own guilt/rage/sorrow. It hummed along the link between them, their fields pulsing with it until they simply held each other. There were no words for a long time, just the uneven hitch of Skywarp's vents.

"How could they?" Skywarp finally said, his voice laced with static and hurt.

Jazz held on a little tighter. "I don't know. I keep asking myself, but I just don't know."

OoOoOoOo

The hack was easy enough for Jazz. He doubted they had even considered anyone might do this. Jazz doubted that it had ever occurred to the council that anyone would question their motives, or dream they would be behind something so horrible. He hacked into the main broadcast station not just to Cybertron, but to earth as well, placing the video in a loop. He didn't even smirk as he wrote in the coding that would make it harder for the council to stop the feed. It would take them long enough to stop the feed, and by the time they did...it would be far too late.

He slipped out, and into the night. Merging with the crowd he looked up at the public viewscreen, Prime's voice booming from it. "We fought for peace, for freedom, to protect the young of all planets. And this is what the council did with that victory." Jazz made himself watch it, his tank rolling. He watched as they brought in the injured fliers and strapped them on to the medical berths.

Ratbat cried, "I want my creator. Genitor. Please."

The medics ignored him, going to Lazerbeak first, one plugging into the now struggling mechlet. The medic read the datapad, and announced: "Confirmation. Laserbeak shares coding with Soundwave and Starscream. Spark age is fifteen vorns. The spark is stunted in growth. It should be twice the size for a normal adolescent spark." The medic beside him took note on another data pad, and watched dispassionately as the first medic began to dismantle the still awake mechlet.

Laserbeak cried out, his screams becoming terrified. "Creator, 'tor, help me!" His screams echoed and reverberated and were finally silent.

Jazz shifted part of his attention to the aethernet. There were already rumblings. He had expected as much.

Buzzsaw convulsed on the berth, his scream went on and on like a wild thing. Jazz could not watch for a moment, sickened to the bottom of his spark. The medics were equally dispassionate as they moved their attention to him. The same medic plugged in, taking notes through the entire procedure.

"Confirmation. Buzzsaw shares coding with Soundwave and Starscream. Spark age is fifteen vorns. The spark is stunted in growth. It should be twice the size for a normal adolescent spark, as subject A. Confirmed they are split spark."

Jazz's attention moved to the enforcers' database for a moment. Crowds had already began to gather in protest in front of the council building Not just the council building, but at the consulate on Earth as well. Most humans did not take well to the harming of young, no matter what the species. It made Jazz smile bleakly. He was far from happy inside, but this needed to happen.

Buzzsaw's screams echo in his audials, "Creator Soundwave, please help me! HELP ME!"

Jazz's tank rumbled threateningly as Buzzsaw's spark was snuffed out, and the medics turned to Ratbat. The little one curled in on himself as much as he could bound down as he was. Still the procedure was repeated.

"Confirmation. Ratbat shares coding with Soundwave and Thundercracker. Spark age is four vorns. The spark is stunted in growth, as seen in test subject A and B. Stunted spark growth. This spark is barely bigger than one newsparked."

"'TortortortortorHELPme! CrackerWAVEheeeeeeelllpme!" The words ran together and stopped making sense until they had become one long and drawn out scream, which stopped abruptly.

On the screen the medics could be seen dispassionately prodding the dismantled frames. "Perhaps we should have acquired the other cassettes as well. The council will not be pleased if it gets out the Decepticons had sparklings."

"After this? We'd probably have to offline the creators to get at them. Let them go, no one cares what happens to Decepticons. Not even if they are younglings." The second medic was laughing, laughing, as his picked up Ratbat's helm and made a measurement.

Jazz did purge his tank then, and clung to the terminal for a brief moment. The taste of old energon was in his mouth as he took his leave. Jazz could not help but flinch as he turned his back to the screen.

He made his way out, discretely studying the faces of the growing crowd as he passed them. The angry, yelling crowd. It was quickly filling the street, a voice of protest rising as one. He almost felt sorry for the council. Almost. It was a fleeting thing. Not one he would entertain for long with the screams of the sparklings still in his audials.

OoOoOoOo

_Afterword:_

Skywarp looked out of the window at the city below. It was boiling, the riots still had yet to be quelled on occasion and most of the council was in hiding, but he had no urge to go out there. To join the mob as they demanded justice. Not yet, at least. He could see Autobots, neutrals, and even a few freed Decepticons sitting in protest in front of a government building. Ratchet and Hook were sharing energon, Astrotrain was leaning in to hear something Skyfire was saying. He saw Starscream in the thick of it with Optimus and Soundwave, glad that they felt safe enough to move among the crowd. Rumble and Frenzy were playing what looked to be tag with a small group of Autobot younglings that had come with their creators.

He was so wrapped up he did not hear the Autobot saboteur come up behind him, but then that was a common enough occurrence.

"That bad?" Jazz asked softly.

"No, not at all." He let out a little self-deprecating laugh, and finally turned to look at the black and white. "Not at all."

Jazz moved closer, touching the collar, "You really don't need to wear this any longer." Jazz worked on the latch, letting it fall away.

Skywarp touched his neck. "It's...thank you." He watched Jazz, and could have sighed as the other mech fidgeted.

"You-you can leave. You know that right? I already let Soundwave go live with Starscream. If you wanted to be with your brothers and nephews..."

Skywarp gave him an incredulous look. "After all we've been through? Still you doubt? Doubt thou the stars are fire; Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt I love."

"What?"

"I love you. I thought that was clear." Skywarp laughed. "I do you know. Now this is the part where you tell me you love me as well. So says every Disney movie Ratbat made us watch when we were on Earth."

"Shakespeare? And Disney? You know the latter will rot your processor, right?"

"I had a lot of free time when we were on Earth. Contrary to popular belief, I am not just a pretty face." Skywarp frowned. "And Disney's newer stuff wasn't too bad."

"No...you aren't just a pretty face." Jazz said, touching Skywarps cheekplate. "And...I love you too."

"But you're scared?"

"A little bit. I'd be a fool not to be." Jazz gave him half a smile.

"We could be scared together." Skywarp's lip twitched up in amusement.

Jazz sat down beside him in the window-seat overlooking the city. "We could be." He finally said. "Is what you want?"

Skywarp made a noise suspiciously like a snort, "You have to ask?"

He relaxed against the other mech. "No...I guess I don't." Almost as an afterthought he added, "Want to go down rile up the crowd? I got a great lead on where they're keeping Metalhawk."

Skywarp couldn't help but chuckle. "You, my dear spark, are going to make this an adventure, aren't you?"

"To paraphrase: To live...to live is an awfully big adventure. And I wouldn't mind taking the rest of the journey with you." Jazz leaned up to kiss him.

A/N:  
~Thanks to Chi Shiro for being a very patient Beta. :X  
~There will be a sequel. Or Two. Thundercracker, Soundwave and Starscream (and, yes, even Warp) have more to say.


	2. A Malady Without a Cure

**Title: **A Malady Without a Cure  
**Verse: **G1/IDW Fusion AU  
**Series: **None  
**Rating:**M  
**Warnings:** past slavery. slash. sparklings. mech-preg. sticky. dub-con. Character Death. In other words the content is mature.  
**Pairings/Characters: **Thundercracker, Prowl, Jazz, Soundwave, Skywarp, Starscream, Optimus Prime, Ravage, Rumble, Frenzy.  
**Notes/Content: **Sequel to Desperate Measures**. ** I would suggest you read that first. =X Angst, angst, and more angst. And a lot of h/c too.  
**Summary: **The Autobots win the war, but not everything is as it should be.  
**Words: **4027  
**Prompt: **None

Thundercracker was recharging in front of the vid-screen by the time Prowl came home. It was a normal enough scene, and one he was used to greeting him as he arrived home. As much as things had changed some just stayed the same. Prowl watched him for a moment, trying to decide if he should leave him there or get him out of recharge and on to his own berth. It was a peaceful seeming recharge, a rare enough thing, which made his decision. They had enough time before their appointment for the seeker to rest a bit longer.

Prowl smiled, watching the seeker's face. He looked peaceful. Serene. More so than he ever did in his waking moments. Prowl found a measure of relief in that. His spark pulsed faster in his chest, and he forgot to ex-vent for the longest moment. He had been more than a little bit surprised when Thundercracker had chosen to stay with him. Surprised, but not upset. Far from it. Prowl had found that he liked to have the seeker there. More than liked it, if he was honest with himself. He was pleasant company, and even the silence, when there was silence, was somehow more comforting than not.

Sometimes he wondered if he was just being selfish. He really didn't want Thundercracker to leave. Prowl felt more than a bit guilty at the relief he had felt when the seeker had turned down his brothers' offers to join them. Guilty, but not so much that he would ever bring it up again. In truth he never wanted the seeker to leave. Having him there made Prowl's once sterile living space feel like a home. More of a home than he had ever had since the war had started, and he found he could not bear it to end. he would do anything to make the seeker stay. In truth he would have done anything for the seeker, period.

He would do anything for him, and anything to make him feel better. Even, it would seem, attend his ornly therapy session. He found it frustrating, Thundercracker's progress could be measured in inches rather than miles, and it was hard not to be angry with Smokescreen over it. He knew it was not his brother's fault. He knew that his brother was the best that credits could buy, but it still left him feeling frustrated that things were not moving at a faster pace. As Smokescreen was want to say though, such things could not be rushed.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Smokescreen watched as Prowl and Thundercracker entered his office. The jetformer's anxiety was apparent. His wings twitched and fluttered, and the pain on his face was obvious. Smokescreen steeled himself inside, and put a smile on his face, "Have a seat; Thundercracker, Prowl. It's nice to see you."

The seeker nodded, and sat close to Prowl. Not far from clinging. Smokescreen nodded, pleased at least that the seeker was not cringing. Their early meetings had tugged at his spark in ways he could not show. "How are we doing today?"

Thundercracker was silent for a long time. "I don't know." He vented loudly, his shoulders slumping, "I've been keeping up on the journal. Like you said I should. I guess it helps. Maybe. I don't know. I-I talked to Skywarp today." He shrunk into himself. "He said-He-"

"Yes? What did he say?"

"He's going to have a newspark. I know I should be happy for him. I should be. But it just made me so mad. It's not fair. He didn't-He didn't lose anyone and now...It's just not fair. I know I should be happy for him. I love him. I really do."

Smokescreen nodded when the seeker fell silent, "But that isn't the only thing bothering you? What else is bothering you about the situation?"

"Honestly? I'm jealous. It makes me so sick to feel that way. I should be happy for him. But he's newly bonded, he has a newspark on the way. R-ravage made it through. He just...has everything, and I have nothing."

"It is perfectly normal to feel this way, you shouldn't feel guilty about it. Just remember you do have mechs that love and care for you. Starscream for one; he has had his own losses as well. There is also a group for creators who have lost their creations." Smokescreen nodded, "And I know Prowl will be there for you. Communication is very important." His optics settled on his brother.

Thundercracker nodded, "That...that might help. It's just sometimes hard to let it out. It hurts so much. I know in my processor that there was nothing that I could do. But I just can't help but feel like I should have stopped them. I should have been able to stop the guards. I should have been able to stop them from being taken away. I shouldn't have...just failed them like that."

Smokescreen watched the seeker's reaction, "That is a normal reaction for your base programming. One of my creators was a seeker, I understand how protective they can be to their offspring."

Thundercracker straightened, "What? I-see." He gave Prowl a sideways glance, "Why didn't you bother to tell me this?"

Prowl blinked at him, "I didn't think it was important."

"Of course it is." Thundercracker said, turning his full attention on the Praxian, who seemed to squirm under that sudden regard. "It's very unusual."

"But it's not about me. Besides, I didn't think you'd care to know that." Prowl said, trying to steer the conversation away from him.

"You are a very important part of my life, of course I want to know these things." Thundercracker said in an almost defensive tone.

Prowl frowned, and then shrugged uncomfortably under Thundercracker's intense gaze. "What is there to tell? My carrier loved us, he took us flying. All and all a very normal younglinghood."

"You were fortunate."

"In many ways. In some ways less so. My creator became a Decepticon out of loyalty to Starscream. He may have left Vos, but he was still loyal to the Prince."

Thundercracker blinked at him, "Who...?"

"Clearsky, actually."

"Your carrier is one of the Rainmakers?" Thunder cycled his optics. "He always did brag about his offspring. We...ah...assumed that they were neutrals." Thundercracker shook his head, completely distracted.

Smokescreen raised a brow and wondered if he should bring the topic back on track, as amusing as all of this was. Instead he simply smiled, leaned back, and listened to their banter. It was interesting to watch them interact with each other. Very, very interesting.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Can I have a word?" Smokescreen asked, giving Prowl a significant look.

Thundercracker watched them both, clearly fretting until Prowl placed a hand on his shoulder. His nervously twitching wings calmed. "I-I will wait outside then." He finally offered, giving his keeper a tremulous smile before slipping out the door.

The door slid shut with a click, leaving the brothers in the room alone. Prowl stared at the door, his doorwings twitching in barely contained agitation. He did not know how to feel any more. "I don't know why you keep implying it. Thundercracker and I are just friends. That's all. We aren't together. He doesn't need that kind of complication right now. And no matter HOW I feel about him I'm not going to trick him into a relationship with me."

Smokescreen watched the seeker leave, and gave Prowl a hard look once he knew the seeker was out of audial range. "What do you mean you aren't 'together'? You live together. You take care of him. You clearly love him." Prowl opened his mouth to argue, but the look Smokescreen gave him made any words that might have came out die on his glossa. "Our creator did not raise a fool, but you are surely acting one."

"We really aren't though." Prowl finally said.

"Prowl..."

"Smokey." Prowl nearly squirmed under his brother's regard. "How can I when I don't...it probably isn't what he even wants. He's very confused."

"I think you are underestimating him. He's an intelligent mech." Smokescreen said. "He had ample chance to leave. Wasn't he offered a place with either of his brothers?"

"He was, but the programing cou-"

Smokescreen snorted, "Keep telling yourself that, little brother."

Prowl pulled a face, "Is this going to be like the time you tried to set me up with Jazz? Because that went over really well?"

Smokescreen shook his head, "Not my fault, squirt. Not my fault at all. That was all you. You didn't commit and you lost out. And you are going to again if you don't watch yourself."

"Damn it Smokey, he wanted a family. I couldn't, I can't..."

"You can't tell me you don't want that yourself. I've seen how you watch Blue. You've always wanted a sparklet of your own. I know you. It wouldn't be a bad thing for either of you, eventually. No one can replace the sparklet he lost." Smokescreen said thoughtfully. "But he needs anchors here. He needs you too."

Prowl huffed, "Blue's my only nephew, of course I worry for his safety. I worry for yours too. It's not fair for a mechlet to only be raised by one creator like you raised Blue...just because I worry for him doesn't mean I want one myself. You give the worst advice."

Smokescreen snorted not believing it for a moment, "Just love him and let him come to you. Take it slow, and stop being a stupid aft."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

They walked home, silently. Prowl was relieved when they finally arrived back at their darkened home. He had a lot to think about. Too much. He rolled about what his brother had said in his processor. He looked at the jetfromer as he turned on the lights in the living area, and curled up on his usual spot on the couch. He burrowed in, pulling the mesh blankets around him that he had dragged in from his berthroom.

Prowl stood back, watching for a moment before gathering up his wits, and not a little bit of bravery. "I'm not going to recharge for a while, do you want to watch a vid?"

Thundercracker's optics brightened, "Yes, I would actually."

Prowl shot him a little smile, as he set up the vid, and finally sat down. His attention on the seeker, rather than the vidscreen. Smokescreen had said to go slow. They were already moving at a glacial pace. More by his choice than anything. He was so scared that it was not what Thundercracker would want had he been in his right mind. He wasn't, that much was clear. But he needed something to care about, something to bring him out of this.

Thundercracker pulled the mesh closer to him, and leaned towards Prowl. Leaned, and then scooted over until he was curled against the other mech. His system hummed and he let out a little ex-vent of contentment.

Prowl froze, his eyes going to the vid playing out on the screen. _Starward _had always been his favourite drama. It was melodramatic in all the right ways, with enough humour thrown in to leave him smiling. In this instance he could not concentrate to even enjoy it. Finally he forced himself to relax, and put an arm around the jetformer. Maybe his brother was right.

"I have not seen this since I was a mechlet." The seeker offered, his tone amused. "It was my creator's favourite."

Prowl smiled, "My creator was partial to it as well. It is amazing what people stashed away and saved." He said, careful of the subject.

"It is." Thundercracker said, seemingly amused. "It brings back good memories though. My creators really didn't spend much time with us, honestly. They were always busy with-well-ruling Vos. So I suppose the time we did spend together was all the more precious."

Prowl drew concentric circle across the flat planes of the seeker's wings as he considered Thundercracker's story. "My sire was busy. He was an enforcer. My creator, well, he was always there. As I said...I had a very normal sparklinghood. As normal as they could make it for us. Creator did his best not to attract attention to himself. I didn't realise at the time how...odd our family was."

"Nothing wrong with it, really. Somebots just have stupid prejudices. And it's not like that now. There are too few of us for it to be." Thundercracker said, his tone serious.

Prowl nodded, ducking his head head and pretending to watch the vidscreen. "I'm glad you think so."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

They settled into a pattern. He would take Thundercracker to his appointments with Smokescreen once an orn. Sometimes sooner. There were good days, and there were bad days, but the good days were slowly beginning to outnumber the bad. Slowly. It still gave Prowl hope. Sometimes he was frustrated. Sometimes Thundercracker was angry. Prowl found the anger easier to deal with than the crying, at least. Not that he would ever admit it to the jetformer. Things got thrown. Things got broken. But the Praxian took it in stride. He picked up the pieces and they moved on. It was all progress forward for him. Forward to what, he was not entirely sure.

"You look thoughtful today." Thundercracker said, peering over Prowl's shoulder at the datapad he was reading.

Prowl raised a brow-plate, giving the seeker a mock-serious look. "Well, I found something I had stashed away..."

Thundercracker quirked a brow. "Oh?"

"It might make you laugh." The Praxian said, producing a datacube from his subspace, and walking over to the vidscreen, plugging it into the reader. He stepped back, pulling the seeker towards the couch as the image resolved itself. Two sparklings giggling and pointing at whomever was recording the scene. Thundercracker leaned forward, his optics fixed on the two little doorwingers.

"You and Smokescreen?"

Prowl chuckled, leaning against Thundercracker in an unconscious gesture. "Got it in one."

"You do realize I'm never going to be able to take him seriously any longer, right?"

Prowl laughed again, "No? It's not that bad."

"You were...adorable."

Prowl snorted. "And then I grew up."

Thundercracker watched the tiny little black and white Praxian squeal and run across the screen, only to be scooped up by a blue seeker. 'Carrier!' The little Praxian squealed, as the seeker shot up in the air with his sparkling laughing in his arms, the video panning to follow his flight. 'Do it again, do it again.' the miniature Prowl squealed as the landed. 'No, it's my turn.' an equally small Smokescreen laughed jumping up and down at the seeker's peds. 'Up! Please?'

Thundercracker smiled. "You are still adorable, you really are."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Skywarp held the newspark close to his cockpit, and cooed at it. He laughed when the newspark chirped back. "Such a little scraplet." Skywarp grinned, not noticing his own brother's anguish as Thundercracker watched him. "Aren't you, sparklet?" Skywarp beamed and nuzzled his cheek against the newspark.

The newspark was an adorable thing, Thundercracker would not argue against that, and already had the start of winglets on his back. A seekerlet. He remembered holding his own seekerlet at that age. His spark contracted painfully at the thought. He wanted one of his own, but no one could ever replace Ratbat. Never.

"Would you like to hold Vivace?"

Thundercracker's wings trembled, but Skywarp did not seem to notice. "I would love to." He took the cooing sparkling from Skywarp, and held him as though he might break. "Interesting name choice." He finally said, looking down at the sparklet's vibrant white optics. They were decidedly un-seeker-like.

"Jazz picked it out. I'm naming the next one." He laughed.

Thundercracker's spark hurt. "You are planning on more?"

"He has always wanted a big family. I cannot say I'm adverse." Skywarp grinned and preened, "It will be a fun endeavour."

Thundercracker snorted, "Right." It was impossible not to feel green with envy. The newspark was the best of both of his creators. Black, white, and purple. His tiny frame already promising a measure of Jazz's litheness.

"There you two are." Jazz said grinning madly. "How goes it, Thundercracker?"

"As well as can be." Thundercracker said, handing the sparklet over to his sire. Jazz bounced the sparklet on his hip, a well practiced move in Thundercracker's eyes.

"Well, that's good. Starscream's finally here. They will be up in a moment."

"Joy." Thundercracker sighed, and wondered where Prowl had wandered off to.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

The seeker's wings quivered, and not for the first time Prowl was scared for his well being. He had not been convinced that it would be a good idea for Thundercracker to meet the newspark, but he had insisted. The quivering turned into outright sobs. "Why-why am I such a horrible-why can't I just be happy like they are? I just...I have nothing and no one. And Starscream... he's so fragging horrible! Laserbeak and Buzzsaw are gone and what? It doesn't matter? He's too busy fragging Prime to even care. I know that look in his optics. It's like he doesn't even care that they died." He curled in on himself. "He doesn't care. All he cares about is power and his place. I hate him." He started to rip at the energon lines in his wrists, but only managed to make a small knick in one before Prowl grabbed at him.

"No! Stop it." Prowl said, his hands still wrapped tight around Thundercracker's wrists. "Bots deal with grief differently. I'm not saying you don't have a right to be upset. You do...but this is tearing you to pieces. You aren't alone."

Thundercracker vented loudly. "I am. You don't want me."

"I don't want you to do something you will regret. As illogical as it is, I want you very much."

"You don't have to lie to make me feel better."

"I have no reason to lie about it." Prowl said patiently. "I care about you."

"You feel responsible for what happened to us."

"I do." Prowl nodded his assent. "But that doesn't mean I want you because of it. I want you because you are you."

"I don't want to be a burden." Thundercracker's wings quivered.

"You aren't a burden." The Praxian sighed, his own wings quivering with contained emotion. "I love you, it's hardly a burden to take care of someone you love."

"You-oh-really?" Thundercracker's brow plate arched up.

"I thought it was apparent, but I wanted to give you room to chose on your own."

Thundercracker gave him a pained look. "I don't need room. I need you."

"My brother gives terrible advice sometimes."

The seeker let out a little noise that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle to Prowl. "He does."

Prowl pulled Thundercracker close, rubbing the edges of his wings. "I'm here for you, and if you decide you want more-I know I'm being selfish-Because I want more. I want you, and I want us to have a future together." The Praxian said in a rush, sounding more like Bluestreak than his stoic self. Thundercracker would have said he was flustered, had anyone asked the state of the Praxian.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Starscream watched his brother's wings quiver. He had never been good at hiding his anxiety. "What gives, Thundercracker? I haven't seen you this twitchy since since we were in the detention center."

Thundercracker flinched at the snark. "I'm-I-I'm just confused. I don't know what to do. He-he said he needs me. He just doesn't want to push me, or make the decision for me. And it's really just muddying the situation."

Starscream gave his brother a hard look and seemed to consider his words carefully. "That's a good thing isn't it? He cares about you. It's kinda...obvious." He shrugged, and a smug little smile inched on to his face. "It's just that some bots are good and noble. You have to convince him otherwise."

"You're just saying that cause you and Wave are fragging Optimus." Thundercracker said pulling a face.

"Was it that obvious?" Starscream asked, looking completely surprised, and blinking at Thundercracker for several moments.

"No, not at all. It's just that somebot would have to be blind to miss it." Thundercracker smirked.

Starscream laughed, shaking his head, "That is the brother I know and love. I wondered where he had wandered off to. But seriously," Starscream shifted uneasily and looked up at the vaulted ceiling before speaking again. "We are talking about bonding with him. He-he actually suggested it. And I find that I'm not adverse to it."

"You care..." Thundercracker said, not entirely surprised.

"I didn't expect to. It-didn't start out that way. I just thought he could protect us. But yes, I am. We are. Wave is more on board with it than I am, really. He's-just-" he shrugged, "Sickeningly good. Noble." Starscream shook his head again, looking lost. "Everything I'm not, and he cares so much. He's a lot like Megatron. So much, just don't tell him I said so. It makes it so easy to love him, and so hard at the same time. He believes, and he's passionate. Despite everything that has happened, the mess with the council...he's still...he's just Optimus, and he believes in me." Starscream looked up, his expression sober, and not a little bit wistful. "And sometimes it makes me sick because he isn't Megatron, and I love him anyway. He won't ever be Megatron, and maybe I can accept that. Don't get me wrong, it's not perfect by any stretch of the means, but Soundwave and I want to try. I think we deserve some measure of happiness. So do you. Just don't settle."

Thundercracker bristled. "It's not settling. I love him."

Starscream smirked, taking his brother's servo into his own and giving it a squeeze. "Then there's your answer."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Smokescreen smiled encouragingly at the seeker over the top of the datapad. "How do you feel about the situation?"

"Now...I feel better. Honestly. There are still some hard cycles. I guess it will always be like that. But I feel more in control." He vented loudly. "I can't change what happened, and I can't bring them back. I understand that now. I can't dwell on the past, it isn't healthy."

Smokescreen nodded, "It sounds like you've made a lot of progress this orn, is there anything you want to focus on in this session?"

Thundercracker sat back, "I feel like I've made a lot of progress. I feel, and this may sound stupid, like I've finally been about to forgive myself. I'm not happy about what happened, I will never be, but I realize that there was nothing I could do to prevent it."

"No, it doesn't sound stupid at all." Smokescreen smiled.

Thundercracker nodded, "And...my relationship with Prowl. I feel like it's finally resolved itself. I don't feel so confused about my feelings for him. He-he finally opened up, I guess. It makes things easier. Less confusing. I don't want him to be a crutch for me...and my problems. But knowing someone cares for me as much as I care for them...it makes things bearable. I don't feel so alone anymore."

"It sounds like you have been working through a lot of things this orn."

Thundercracker nodded, his optics twinkling, "And Prowl showed me the most amusing vid..."

Smokescreen blinked at him several times, as he recalled the vid he had recently given his brother as a present. He was silent a long time, as if considering his options, "Oh, I see...well...it looks like our session is up this cycle."

Thundercracker smirked as he got up, and laughed all the way out the door.

A/N-  
1. The title comes from John Dryden's Palamon and Arcite:  
Yet these and all the rest I could endure;  
But love's a malady without a cure:  
Fierce Love has pierced me with his fiery dart,  
He fires within, and hisses at my heart.  
2. Rainmakers in this instance: Acid Storm, Clearsky (blue), Stormfront (yellow).


	3. Easing Into The Routine

**Title: **Easing Into The Routine  
**Verse: **G1/IDW Fusion AU  
**Series: **None  
**Rating: **M  
**Warnings:** past slavery. slash. sparklings. mech-preg. sticky. In other words the content is mature. Optimus behaving badly. =X Starscream being Starscream. Or as I like to call them Snark!scream and Sneakimus Prime.  
**Pairings/Characters: **Thundercracker, Prowl, Jazz, Soundwave, Skywarp, Starscream, Optimus Prime, Ravage, Rumble, Frenzy.  
**Notes: **Sequel to Desperate Measures and A Malady Without a Cure . I would recommend you read both before this. It will make that much more sense.  
**Summary: **The Autobots win the war, but not everything is as it should be.  
**Words:** 4581  
**Prompt: **None

Optimus shoved the datapads at Starscream, "File these."

He wasn't surprised to hear the seeker's high pitched shriek. "I'm not your SECRETARY-BOT! That's not my job."

"Starscream, what exactly IS your job then?"

The seeker glared. "I'm your personal assistant."

"And I'm asking you to personally assist me and file those data pads. Problem solved."

"I HATE you." Starscream pronounced for what must have been the millionth time that day. Optimus looked entirely unimpressed by the declaration. It lacked any of the real vehemence that the seeker used to reserve for such statements.

"You keep saying that." Optimus hummed, "But you are still here. Still living in my home. you moved your bondmate and his offspring into my home." Optimus was secretly pleased about all of it, but he managed to keep it out of his tone. His amusement, however, seeped through.

"That was your idea!" Starscream huffed, his glare turning baleful.

"You went along with it quite fine when I suggested it." Optimus said readily, a grin sliding onto his unmasked face.

"I Ha-"

"Starscream." Prime laughed, unable to help himself. He enjoyed their banter, perhaps more than he should. Not that he was going to tell that to Starscream, not yet in any case.

"What?" Starscream finally said, looking put out at this point.

"The datapads." Prime said in a cheerful tone, his smile growing if anything.

"Oh, whatever." The seeker threw up his hands. "Fine. I will file the stupid things." He stomped away down the hallway, growling to himself. "Glitch is more manipulative than Megatron."

"I heard that!"

Starscream shot the Prime an appraising look, his optics half-lidded. His lip-plates, finally turned up into an amused grin, but for once he said nothing. Sometimes, silence really was the best weapon. It niggled under Prime's plating, and that amused him more than anything.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Soundwave stared at the bespectacled mech that sat across from him. He was not entirely sure what to make of the diminutive, red Autobot, and he was not even sure that this was going to help him out in any shape or form.

Rung looked up at him, "What would you like to discuss today?"

Soundwave heaved a little sigh inside, "Soundwave: does not know what to think. Starscream: Acting peculiar. Optimus: Acting...shifty. Living situation: stressful."

Rung nodded, as he jotted something on his datapad. "Indeed, and why do you feel that way?"

"Soundwave: Not convinced that Optimus is not trying to take away Starscream, uses sparklings to manipulate the situation."

"You think his motivation is suspect?"

"Correct: there is not much left to lose. Without Prime's good will there is no place to go."

"Have you expressed these feelings to those around you?"

"Negative: I-I am afraid it will make the situation worse. Can't handle being alone. Do not know what to do."

Rung nodded his head, still jotting something on the datapad, "What are some of the things that trouble you most?"

Soundwave looked away, feeling exposed. "Honestly: the sparklings. I worry, I just worry for them. I am afraid something will happen to them. Or...Optimus will take them away."

"You seem to feel scared of a lot of the things going on, is that close to how your feeling?"

"Paranoid, and scared: It's irrational." The cassette carrier vented, "Soundwave: should speak with Optimus."

"If you think that would help."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Soundwave puttered, that was the most apt word Starscream could think of to describe the way Soundwave worked at the counter, fixing gelled energon and some other energon confections that Starscream did not even have words for. The twins watched their creator with wide eyes, quiet for once. They knew better than to beg.

Soundwave seemed more grounded since he had joined his mate at the Prime's home. The psychologist helped, clearly. Starscream had been firmly against it, at first, but Prime had convinced him. Rung was not so bad, Starscream supposed. Not when he helped Soundwave so much.

Prime had been kind to them. Far more kind than any of them had the right to expect. He was still a jerk as far as Starscream was concerned, but a useful jerk. He was patient with the sparklings, and went out of his way to help Soundwave. It was all very-domestic, and in many ways Starscream did not know how to handle the very...normality of the situation. It was as if he had forgotten how to live, and what life was like without the war.

"Starscream: Should be at work with Prime." The cassette carrier frowned as he stopped and turned, watching Starscream.

"Prime gave me the day off. I do get them...you know. And-I-I wanted to talk to you about something." Starscream said, looking nervous.

Soundwave completely turned from the counter, his full attention on the seeker. "Starscream: Nervous. Bad news, perhaps?"

Starscream pursed his lips. Soundwave knew him too well, and he knew his mate was not going to like what he had to say. "That is a matter of perspective, I suppose."

"Starscream: facetious this cycle."

Starscream huffed, "Oh, stop it. Stop trying to bait me. I get that enough from Optimus." Starscream glared and barreled on. "I think we should take Optimus as a lover."

"Starscream-" The cassette carrier glared, his mood turning in an instant. "How-how can you suggest such a thing?" His voice went to static for a moment, he opened his mouth and the words would just would not come. "Starscream: Despicable. Meg-Megatron is barely offline and you will leave Soundwave as well. What of our sparks? Will you abandon them as well? Starscream: hates Soundwave? What have-you don't want me now?" The cassette carrier asked, his voice dropping to a bare whisper.

"Stop. Just stop right there." He crossed the space between them, pulling Soundwave into his arms. "It's not like wasn't what I meant. If WE, and I mean both of us, cement our relationship with Prime we have a lot to gain. Power, prestige, but more importantly we can ensure the safety of our sparklings. Optimus is good with the sparks that live with us. You can't tell me you don't think he would make a good sire."

Soundwave sighed against him. He hated it when Starscream appealed to his practical side. "Optimus: Is good with the sparks." He finally admitted, not sounding happy with it. "Social standing: is desired. Less trouble for us in the long run. Safety: assured. Place in society: secured."

"Precisely." Starscream said. Soundwave could be very practical about such things when made to see the reason.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Optimus watched the seeker interact with Rumble and Frenzy and was more than a bit puzzled. It was odd seeing the former minicons in sparkling frames, like they should have been the whole time. It was stranger still seeing them climbing and clinging to the seeker; begging for treats, games, stories, and just overall whatever the tri-colored mech would give them. He knew they were not Starscream's sparklings, but Megatron's. Even without the seeker's admission of that fact there was plenty of coding evidence that pointed to it.

Optimus watched the seeker help the sparklings head to recharge, and wondered if it had been like this on the Nemesis. He finally couldn't contain his curiosity and began questioning as soon as they were out of hearing range from the sparks. "Starscream, I'm...do not take this wrong, I am merely curious. Rumble and Frenzy aren't your sparklings, and yet...you treat them as though they are."

Starscream gave him a startled look. "I... they are just as much mine as Megatron's or Soundwave's. It is not a matter of coding. I raised them, they are my mates' sparks, so they are my own. Love does not know coding, Optimus, and I love those little mechlets."

"No, I suppose it doesn't." Optimus nodded, not entirely surprised by Starscream's answer. When the seeker and the cassette carrier had been processed at the detention center datapads had been found in their subspace. It wasn't until the council had been restructured that Optimus learned of their existence. Pictures of Megatron holding what could have only been newly sparked Laserbeak and Buzzsaw. Starscream sitting at his desk and absently petting Ravage on the head. The three creators curled up in recharge on a berth with at least four of the sparklings. And many others of similar disposition. They had been a family. A happy family.

Starscream and Soundwave had acted like they'd been given back their world when the datapads were returned. Along with several confiscated from the Nemesis that now were prominently displayed around the domicile. Odd and oddly domestic, just like the mechs themselves.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

The mechlet's followed Optimus Prime down the path that wound through the gardens, their optics wide as they looked about. They gawked at the crystal growths.

"Boss-bot, what in the pit is this?" Rumble asked in barely contained delight.

Optimus laughed, "The crystal gardens, It is Red Alert's pet project. He wishes to see his home city restored to the marvel it was before the war."

The two mechlets blinked up at him, and looked as if they were trying to figure out if he was joking or not.

"You're glitching, aren't you, boss?" Frenzy finally asked. "Red Alerts a Praxian? One with artistic tastes? You foolin' us?"

Optimus laughed again, "I assure you, I'm not."

The little bots didn't look convinced. "If you say so." Rumble said, shaking his head.

They wandered through the maze of towering crystal in silence for a while, until Rumble broke through it. "Do you like us? I mean our family? Cause...ya know...we kinda like things the way they are..."

Optimus looked down at him fondly. "Yes. I like your family. I'm hoping it will be my family as well one day."

Rumble nodded, "So...you aren't going to leave us?"

"Shut up," Frenzy butted in, "Sire said he wouldn't leave. He promised, and look how that turned out." The little mechlet was pushing back the coolant in his optics.

"No, you shut up." Rumble said, pushing his brother.

Optimus sighed, grabbing them both before they could do damage to themselves or the crystals. He stooped then, kneeling so he was eye-level with the two mechlets. "Can you keep a secret?"

The little bots looked at each other, and Optimus knew from the unfocused look in their optics that they were communicating across the bond. "Sure, we can keep a secret. Promise."

Optimus nodded, looking serious. "I really do want us to be a family. I care for you all. I care for your creators very, very much. But it's going to take time. They are scared and hurt...I'm going to make it better, but you have to be patient."

Frenzy watched him for a long moment before nodding. "You better not be lying. I'd have to make ya really sorry if you were."

"I wouldn't lie about something like this." Optimus said solemnly.

Frenzy squinted at him, "Are you and carrier going to make more sparks? Cause he's been really sad since...you know..."

"I-we'll see. One thing at a time, sparklet." The Prime hoped he didn't appear as flustered as he felt. One thing at a time. One thing at a time.

Rumble huffed, and rolled his optics at his brother and Optimus. "Can we get some candy? Please? We've been good. We ain't broke nothing at all today.'

Optimus winked at Frenzy, and offered them both a hand as he stood. "I think I know the perfect place.

They did not have too far of a walk to the confectioner. The little bots blinked as Optimus took them into the shop. "Optimus you old plate scraper. What are you doing here?" Inferno said from behind the counter, looking cheerful.

Optimus blinked at him for a moment in surprise. Or perhaps not. Where Red Alert went Inferno was sure to not be far behind.

"What's a plate scraper?" Rumble asked, brow-plates going up.

"Let's not tell your carrier or sire you ever heard that" Optimus sighed, and shook his head. "We're after some gelled energon, and maybe some confections."

Rumble moved to the glass display, pressing his face against the glass. "They look so good."

"And taste better than they look." Inferno said, laughing as he offered The mechlets an energon truffle.

They both gobbled the truffles down, leaving their hands a sticky mess. It did not deter Optimus from ordering a tray of assorted confections: Oil cakes, energon truffles, gelled energon, rust sticks, and crystal bon-bons. All three bots dug in, and in the end they were all sticky with energon and oil. Optimus himself covered in sticky fingerprints from the little bots. He found he didn't really mind it. Well, that much.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Starscream watched Optimus and the twins. They had all needed to be run through the wash racks after their trip out, and now the large bot was playing Praxus fold'em with the little terrors before recharge. The two little bots were cheating, and badly. It was obvious that Optimus knew, but he just grinned and let the brothers get away with it.

Starscream could only look on in amusement. Optimus seemed generally fond of the sparklings, and they of him. He knew that they missed their sire terribly, and as odd as it sounded Optimus reminded them of him. The large bot spoiled them, sneaking them energon candies when he thought their carrier and caretaker were not looking. Starscream did not really entirely know what to make of it. All he did know what that Optimus was a good bot and did seem to genuinely care for the sparklings, whether he had other motivation or not.

Optimus looked up from the card game and winked at him, giving the seeker a tiny Mad Hatter grin before going back to playing with the two mechlings. Starscream could only shake his head. He really did not understand the Prime in the least.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Soundwave had two energon cubes waiting for them by the time that Starscream and Optimus wound their way home at the end of the cycle. Optimus gave Soundwave a grateful smile, and picked up the sparklings when they came running, which they did.

"Did you bring us candies?" Rumble asked, clinging to Optimus' back. "Did you?"

Optimus grinned, and reached into his subspace. "Of course, little bot. I told you I would." He carried them all to the couch in front of the vidscreen, and handed the candied energon over. The two little bots curled up against Optimus, and then Starscream when the flier finally took a seat. For ones so small they were good at taking up a lot of space.

Rumble moved, curling himself against Starscream's chest and made a little sound of surprise. He looked up at Starscream, and then over at Soundwave who was putting in a vid. "Creator?"

"Yes Rumble?"

"When are you going to have the newspark?"

"What?" Starscream looked down at the little bot.

"The newspark, it's chatty." Rumble said, "Carrier said I was chatty and I told him my name cycles and cycles before I emerged." He petted the place where the newspark rested against Starscream's spark. "He says his name is Nebula. I think another brother will be nice."  
Starscream looked up, catching Soundwave's gaze. "I wasn't sure about it. I was-I was going to go to the medic before i said anything."

Soundwave smiled, "News: Excellent."

"Birth control: Ineffective." Starscream teased back. "I really should have upgraded it vorns ago. But it is good news never the less."

"It is." Prime rumbled, looking pleased himself. "Congratulations."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Starscream could not help but frown as Prime brushed up against him for what seemed like the the millionth time that cycle. Brushed and lingered, but not so long that he could say for sure that it was purposeful. The Prime's field pushed against his teasingly again, a light touch, but it sent Starscream's engine purring with want. Oh good, he was going to be a tactile carrier. He stared at the Prime, who shot him a smile. A perfectly innocent smile.

"Is something wrong, Starscream?" Optimus asked blandly.

"No-no-nothing at all." Starscream replied, his optics going wide, and he couldn't help but wonder if the mech he was trying to seduce was trying to seduce him in turn.

"Ah." Prime nodded, "I left some datapads for you to go over, they have the results of Perceptor's latest endeavours in more efficient energy output. I thought you might have suggestions."

Starscream picked up the datapad and turned it on, and almost dropped it when a vid started playing. His optics grew big and he leaded in, watching a flier, Optimus, and Wheeljack writhing on a berth; doing... well it was obvious what they were doing. The flier turned to face whoever was making the recording and he almost dropped it again-Skyfire.

"Something wrong?" Optimus asked, giving the seeker a bland look.

Starscream opened his mouth and a little squeak came out. He cycled his vocal processor once, twice, and then a third time before he could get anything to come out. "I don't think this is the right pad."

"Oh?" Optimus leaned over Starscream and looked at the pad, the vid still playing, "No, it doesn't look like it is."

"Humans have a word for this." Starscream managed, his optics still ogling the vid.

"Oh?"

"Sexual harassment."

"Am I harassing you? Really?" Optimus chuckled, "Because from the way you have been throwing yourself at me..."

"I was NOT throwing myself at you." Starscream said indignantly. Optimus laughed, and plucked the pad from his hand. Starscream tried to grab it. "I wasn't done with that."

"As you said, it was the wrong pad." The Prime pulled the pad close to his chassis, acting as if he were about to subspace it.

"Optimus Prime, you give that back to me. Now!" Starscream screeched, reaching for it again.

"Well, since I am harassing you I'm sure you will prefer the Pad Perceptor sent over. Let me go get it." Optimus said smoothly.

"You glitch! You rusted out glitch! You aren't harassing me. I've been trying to get under your plating, and it just isn't working. Now give me the pad back." The seeker was working himself up into a full blown tizzy.

Optimus laughed, "Oh, it's working. Now settle down, that can't be good for the newspark. Maybe, if you behave, we could watch it together?" He offered, nearly purring as he guided to seeker over to one of the seats in front of the vidscreen.

He plugged the datapad into the vidscreen and stepped back, before taking a seat next to Starscream. "Better?"

"Oh, dear Primus." Starscream said, his fans kicking in again. "I-" He canted his head to the side. "You wouldn't think a shuttle was that-"

"Flexible?" Prime chuckled, scooting closer to the jetformer until their fields meshed, dancing happily against one another. "You should see some of the ones with Beachcomber. He was a real petrorabbit in the berth."

The seeker sputtered. "Beachcomber too? Were you having orgies over on the Ark?"

"Not that often." Optimus said with a perfectly innocent shrug.

Starscream felt his cheekplates heating up, and he finally covered his face, peeking between his fingers. "Megatron would have had-I think this would have made him glitch. He would have had you in our berth in half a sparkbeat if he'd ever known this. Slag, that's hot." He vented loudly, his whole system heating up.

Optimus grinned, leaning in he ghosted one hand across the top of the nearest wing. His grin only grew when he heard the seeker's interface panel snick open. One moment Starscream was beside him; the next thing he knew he had an eager, and determined, lap-full of seeker. Optimus wasn't one to complain about such a dire situation. His hands skated across Starscream's plating, across the seeker's hips, and finally pulled him closer to catch his lips and silence a moan before it had a chance to emerge. Starscream keened against Optimus' lips as the Prime's hands wandered, dipping into seams along the seeker's sides. He plucked at wiring until the seeker was whining and begging for more.

The semiformers fingers wandered down to Starscream's interface panel, finally stopping on the edge. "Starscream, we can't do this. Not yet at least. Not until we're bonded and Soundwave can be with us."

The seeker keened, "So help me Optimus, if you don't..." He whimpered, "You can't leave me like this." The seeker shivered and whimpered more, and it took a long moment for the words to sink in, "Bonded? All three of us? Really?"

Optimus chuckled, "No? Isn't that what you are aiming for?" He nibbled at the seeker's neck.

"Scrap. Am I so obvious?" The flier panted.

Optimus made an amused noise, and held Starscream tight around the waist with one arm. "I suppose...I can't leave a mech in your condition hanging." His fingers traced along the panel before dipping into the seeker's valve. "I could help you." He added a second finger to the first, scissoring them, hitting every node along the way until he had the seeker screaming in overload.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Soundwave gave him a thoroughly disgruntled and unhappy look, "Optimus: Stop these games. My sparklings have been through enough." The cassette carrier hunched his shoulders, his posture becoming stiff like an injured thing. "Ravage and Frenzy: not pawns. Sparklings: have been through much. Have already lost one creator, can not stand to lose another. They are not...tools for you to use to get close to MY mate."

Optimus' optics widened, "Is that what you think this is about? Oh, Soundwave." Prime vented loudly, and took a step towards the other mech. "I don't want to just frag Starscream. I want...have wanted since long before the war...to have a family. I care about Rumble and Frenzy, I care about Starscream, and Yes...I care about you."

Soundwave's shoulders hunched further, not entirely believing what was coming out of Optimus' vocal processor. He could tell the bot believed it, and yet he hesitated. "Optimus: is a danger."

"If I were truly a danger do you believe Starscream would have allowed those mechlets, more precious to him than himself, anywhere near me?" Optimus raised a browplate, taking a step closer to Soundwave, and then another. "I want you both. I want to call the sparklings my own. I want to be part of a family, this family. I don't know how I can be any more clear about it." He pressed his chasis against Soundwave's and raised a hand, cupping the bot's cheek. "I am not trying to replace Megatron. I know there will always be a place in your spark that loves him and misses him. And he will always be Rumble and Frenzy's sire. But don't you think there is room enough for me as well?"

Soundwave watched him, blinking. This was the last thing he had expected. Part of him wanted to go to Optimus, and yet part of him had trouble believing anything that the bot said.

"You doubt my sincerity? Why? Do you think I would dishonour your mate? I did not agree with Megatron's methods, but I always respected him. I will care for his sparklings as my own. Don't doubt it for a moment. Have I not taken care of you?"

Soundwave looked up at him, shaking. "Optimus-"

"Have I not taken care of Starscream?" Optimus' lip plates curled into an amused smile.

"Optimus: a manipulative glitch."

Optimus laughed, and leaned down until their lip-plates nearly touched, "I will take that as a compliment," he said before closing the distance.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Optimus sat back with Soundwave and watched as their bondmate greeted his brothers. It was amazing how much difference a vorn could make. The younglings were in larger frames, nearing adulthood, and Ravage was finally there. He was only slightly surprised that the black mech had ended up settling on a Praxian frame. Even less so when he started courting Bluestreak. The mech had shown a partiality for the gunner even as a mechlet on the opposite faction. Smokescreen, luckily, seemed pleased about the match, and the mechs themselves very happy. There was talk of grandsparks. There was also talk of forcibly installing hardware against it, but that largely came from an overprotective uncle in the form of Prowl. Optimus was ninety percent certain the mech was joking. Ninety percent. Even if the ten percent were the case the Prime was fairly certain Thundercracker would prevent it.

Or help.

He had bonded into a unique family. But he wouldn't have it any other way. It was beautiful when a plan came together this flawlessly.

"Optimus: smug today." Soundwave niggled, his own amusement apparent.

Optimus laughed, his gaze following Starscream to where he stood chatting with Thundercracker and holding Nebula. The sparkling was not long past his second upgrade. His winglets fluttered happily as Starscream held him tightly. "What isn't there to be content about?"

Optimus marveled at how fast the sparkling was developing. He had never really been around one that young. Not on a day to day basis, and he found that Starscream was very much right. Coding did not matter. Nebula was just as much his than if he had carried the sparkling himself. That in itself was an interesting idea, maybe he would even run it by his mates later. He was far from adverse to having a few more little mechlets running about.

It amused him that Prowl seemed to have the same thought; as Rumble and Frenzy went walking by, carrying their cousins. Twins the first time, and the seeker was already sparked again. He supposed they were making up for lost time. Not that Optimus could blame them. Thundercracker had been through a lot, and his family at least brought him joy.

Soundwave made a noise that sounded a lot like a snicker to Optimus, and scooted over to curl against the larger mech.

Optimus quirked his brow as he watched Jazz and Skywarp sidle up the Starscream and Thundercracker, Prowl following close behind.

"So, Warp was telling me that seekers traditionally share mates with their siblings." Jazz said, leering at them both.

"You're not touching my TC, Jazz." Prowl said from behind Jazz, giving him the evil-optic if Optimus had ever seen one.

"Who said I was just talking TC? You, me, your delightful blue boy, and my Warpster. Whataya say?" Jazz grinned broadly right up until Thundercracker slapped him and then thwapped Skywarp upside the head for good measure.

"That is what I think of that." Thundercracker said, hitting Warp again.

Optimus frowned, and looked to Soundwave before tugging on Starscream's end of the bond. ::Should I step in and break it up?::

::Slag no. Wait long enough and they will invite us too.:: Starscream replied, his mind voice rolling with amusement, and not a little lust.

::Starscream!::

::Skywarp does this thing with his glossa..::

::Starscream!::

::...And Thundercracker does this to deactivate for thing with hip movement that makes you wonder where he...:: The seeker was making rude gestures with his free hand now. Skywarp was giggling, having caught on to what they were talking about through the bond. He must have passed it on to his own bonded, because Jazz was lit up like the long ago human custom of the fourth of July. Thundercracker was rolling his optics but not even attempting to hide the smile. Prowl was not quite as sanguine. The Praxian had sunk to the floor and was holding his head in his hands, probably trying to ward off a glitch. Even little Nebula was cooing, unaware of the conversation but amused by his carrier's antics.

::STARSCREAM!::


End file.
